Athens-Clarke County Commissioners are expected to vote tomorrow on creating a specialized gang unit in District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez’s office.
Last month, Gonzalez asked commissioners for $267,000 to add a gang prosecutor, investigator, and victim advocate to her office. While commissioners seemed to approve an assistant district attorney to specialize in gang cases, many asked why Gonzalez didn’t use one of the office’s currently open positions for the role. Gonzalez announced in January that her office had 17 assistant district attorney positions, but only eight positions were filled. Along with the unit’s annual costs, Gonzalez requests $126,000 for the remainder of this fiscal year ending in June.
Commissioners also plan to vote on replacing a nearly 50-year-old fire station on Whit Davis Road. Constructed in 1974, Fire Station #5 is severely outdated, according to public safety officials. Along with antiquated equipment and failing to meet ADA compliance, the station lacks separate male and female living spaces, bathrooms and showers. In addition to these updates, officials are asking for an additional bay for fire trucks, for a total of three. Funding for the station would come from roughly $6 million in SPLOST funding pre-approved by voters for a new fire station. If commissioners approve the station, officials will decide its new location. Officials say they want the station to be relocated to better serve the city’s east side.
Commissioners plan to decide these issues and others at their Tuesday meeting.